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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27577147">Two bros</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chinihona/pseuds/Chinihona'>Chinihona</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>• With a dramatic touch • [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Also like two seconds of Markhyuck smut, Alternate Universe - College/University, Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, Flirting, Gay Panic, Internalized Homophobia, Like lots of drinking because they're in denial omg, M/M, Maybe? It's Jae denying his feelings, One Shot, POV Alternating, Sleeping Together, Sloppy Makeouts, Smoking, Texting, They smoke weed I'm sorry, but briefly - Freeform, side markhyuck, theatre party, they're best bros okay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:55:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,767</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27577147</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chinihona/pseuds/Chinihona</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Three times Jaehyun and Johnny kiss as best bros, and that one time they kiss as something seemingly a little more, maybe (Ft. clowns Markhyuck)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny, Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>• With a dramatic touch • [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015738</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>152</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Two bros</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So, this is a spin-off of a Markhyuck (that must be linked in the series) but you can definitely read this one without having read the other, according to my beautiful and trustworthy beta readers. </p><p>That's it, enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>~</p><h3>
  <strong>Dull frat party</strong>
</h3><p> </p><p>“I think Becka over there wants something, Marky” Jaehyun yelled over the loud upbeat music towards Mark, who was just standing awkwardly by his side with a beer in hand, right next to Taeyong.</p><p> “What?” Was the only thing Mark aimed to ask back with bewilderment, clearly not catching up on Jaehyun’s previous statement. It wasn't actually surprising that the kid was missing the obvious, not when sexual matters were on the table at least. “Who?”</p><p>With a delighted smile, Jaehyun opted to openly point at the group of girls staring at them, only because it was easier and faster to explain. </p><p>And well, he also liked to <em> play around </em>when he was tipsy.</p><p>It wasn’t a surprise, <em> yet again </em>, when said girlies bursted into a seemingly internal attack as their frustrated faces and blushes graduated from little to much in a lot of different scales. </p><p>Yup.</p><p>It was indeed a hilarious reaction for Jaehyun, how predictable and simple everything was, and because of that he knew it could certainly get better. </p><p>That was why he decided to pull out his finest smile; that one where his dimples would show just by a little in a way he looked hot and cute at the same time, according to Johnny’s specific descriptions about his face. Not that it was true, but he liked to brag about it anyway.</p><p>And just after pulling the charming smile of his, he even felt like winking, because that was how much confidence he was getting out of that show.</p><p>If with just the movement of his finger the girls had had an outburst, at the sight of his winking face they sure lost it. However, and that was the first surprising thing in that dull party, there was an exception: Becka. Becka, whose stare on Mark hadn’t wavered at all. Becka, who gulped down wine with hunger in her eyes, ready to attack.</p><p>“I’m too sober for this” Mark voiced with a slight grimace the second he came to the same realisation as Jaehyun himself. “I’ll go fetch another beer. Want something?”</p><p>“I kinda want vodka right now” He responded, already getting bored about the whole flirting thing and looking somewhere else to have fun.</p><p>For Jaehyun, college parties weren’t surprising at all. They were predictable and they wouldn’t usually vary or get different in a really pronounced way. Not in the least.</p><p>It was kinda the same every time: a few people super drunk, some others making out, a group smoking in the balcony or kitchen, others playing games, getting laid in forbidden rooms. The usual.</p><p>But he wasn’t one to lie either. Even though parties weren’t that good, they still weren’t bad enough for them to stop attending almost every weekend.</p><p>For instance, they were currently waiting to reunite with Johnny- whom they had lost the second the party started- in their usual meeting spot.</p><p>Yes, they had a meeting spot and great knowledge of every room in that gigantic dorm. They even knew where the owner kept their spare toilet papers and clean towels. That probably underlined how many times they’ve been to that same exact place for the past couple of years.</p><p>“Oh, god I’ll tag along or else I am getting asleep” Taeyong voiced with his eyes already dropping closed momentarily. “Maybe we can even find snacks” he continued, rather hopeful and suddenly awakened over the possibility of finding something sweet to eat, Jaehyun imagined. </p><p>“Key. You stay here for Johnny, Jae?” Mark asked and as he nodded in a second, the duo started walking away through the crowded living room towards the kitchen.</p><p> As he saw Mark's thin frame getting stuck between a couple making out in the middle of the dance floor and two very drunk women singing out loud, he could only smile with sympathy at the sight. </p><p>Mark didn’t really want to be there and neither did Taeyong. They were too chill for that dense, saturated environment, not really interested in the superficial short-lived happenings guided by whatever people were guided by during parties<em> . </em> And even though sometimes they had a good time, they were still <em> responsible students, </em> not like Johnny or himself.</p><p>On one hand, Taeyong was just a breath away from graduating so he almost didn’t party with them anymore- It was actually strange that he was there at the moment. And Mark, well, that boy was at the top of every single of his classes. That wasn’t something easy to achieve or maintain. </p><p>On the other hand stood Johnny and him, the ones who actually wanted to be there and enjoyed the loud music and hot suffocating environment. Jaehyun at some point wondered why, since there weren't a lot of things to do aside from dancing and getting drunk, which wasn’t precisely interesting anymore. </p><p><em> No, those things were rather wishy-washy </em>, he thought as he stared at the two guys currently wrestling in the middle of the dancefloor just before him.</p><p>Still and as previously mentioned before, they always ended up there, the four of them, because there wasn’t much relief in the constant need to balance their lives between college, work and the rest of it. It was stressful. </p><p>And don’t even get him started with the fact that the following week was going to be finals week for him. He desperately needed to get drunk that night, for his sanity.</p><p>“Hey” suddenly greeted a calm voice near him, one that smelt very much like cheap strawberry vodka <em> already. </em>“I’ve been looking for you”</p><p>Completely still in place, Jaehyun couldn’t even hold back a smile, not when he could feel that stupid, always amused voice behind him, wrecked already.</p><p>“Sure you were” he responded after a beat, a little sarcastic while pushing the other softly backwards in a motion that was meant to be sassy, or fake irritated, at least. </p><p>Yet, it wasn’t a surprise that the motion ended up being as tender as a caress, even though he had tried to shove the other away. </p><p>Turning around he was met with none other than his best friend, Johnny, drunk and <em> shirtless </em> for some unknown reason. His hair was sticking backwards but some strands fell to the side messily, a thing that made him look goofy and...stupid. Jaehyun also noticed the way his eyes were glassy and with intrigue, he saw the way his best friend's chest gleamed with sweat. </p><p>They had gotten to the party like, what? One hour ago? At most? It made Jaehyun wonder real hard about the plausible explanations as to why he looked like that.</p><p>“I sure was, dude. I was lacking my partner in crime, companion in life, the broest of bros” he mumbled theatrically with hands in the air, looking around with a drink in hand. Yet, in a second his face switched to confusion. “Where are the guys?”</p><p>“Oh my god, John. What the hell?” Jaehyun couldn’t help but feel a giggle bubble up on his chest. “They went to the kitchen to steal some snacks” He explained some seconds later, after having recovered from those nonsensical statements that came, too, with the realization that Johnny was significantly drunker than the last time they saw him.</p><p>So, as the great bro Jaehyun was, he decided to get a hold of Johnny's drink and gulp its contents down without even thinking, just looking at the crowded dance floor before them as the cold liquid burned his throat suddenly, oh so suddenly his eyes got teary. <em> What the fuck that dude had been drinking? </em></p><p>“Did you just drink that in one go?” his best friend asked, dumbfounded, while sipping a can of beer Jaehyun couldn’t understand where it came from. Like, ten seconds ago he had the plastic cup Jaehyun was drinking at that moment, so, how the hell? “You really wanna get plastered tonight”</p><p>“You know I have three finals this week” Was what he could utter softly, turning around to look at the other’s eyes.</p><p>“I know. And you know you’re gonna pass, right? I saw you studying like, four times this week. It’s actually an incredible happening when I get a glimpse of it because I kinda used to think you slept with a book under your pillow to sink knowledge in” Johnny said and Jaehyun could only laugh.</p><p>“Thanks” he mumbled, suddenly feeling a hot sensation on his cheeks and ears, as well as his chest and limbs. </p><p>What he drank only seconds ago might have started to sink in already, and he wondered what the hell had Johnny been drinking. It was something strong; that was for sure, according to the now pleasing, sloppy feeling on his body.</p><p>“Wanna sit, dude? You look like going to bed” Johnny told him, bringing him back from his mental digresses while looking at him with that weird protectiveness he showed when he was drunk. “I mean you look so drunk, Jaehyunie”</p><p>“Bruh I’m not the only one, then” he retorted knowingly because he saw the way Johnny couldn’t even stay still in place, either. “But, yeah, Let’s go”</p><p>And as they started to walk away, getting lost in the never ending density of a million sweaty bodies almost glued to each other in the living room, he grabbed a hold of Johnny’s hand because he didn’t really want to lose him in the crowd again.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>After some minutes wandering around, they found a spot on a grubby, worn out large sofa by the other side of the dancefloor. </p><p>Jaehyun was thinking that maybe when Taeyong and Mark came back, they wouldn’t be able to spot them there, but his mind was just so clouded, mixing everything together, that he needed to lay for a bit with his eyes closed.</p><p>However, it didn’t take long for him to feel someone speaking into his ear.</p><p>“How far behind am I? Two numbers, was it?” Johnny asked really close to him, so he wouldn’t scream over the loud music. Jaehyun could actually smell the alcohol in his breath again or maybe it was himself too, he didn’t really know.</p><p>“Yup” he affirmed, cocky about that fact.</p><p>They had an ongoing crucial bet that consisted in getting numbers at parties. It was silly and stupid, because they wouldn’t usually date anyone in the end, but is was fun at least. </p><p>So far, he was winning but of course that wasn’t discouraging Johnny, no. Rather the opposite.</p><p>The past weekend he got a guy’s number, which was pretty wild if you asked Jaehyun, because Johnny didn’t like men. Still, he was an argumentative king and said and Jaehyun quoted ‘gender was not included in the rules’. So yeah, the older started to catch up real fast when he discovered the power he beheld beyond gender barriers.</p><p>“Watch me beat you, babe” Johnny slurred then, standing up with difficulty and walking towards the two girls that had been eyeing them by the other end of the large couch. He was clearly getting some numbers and Jaehyun considered his two options: staying where he was, dizzy with the entire world spinning around or stealing those numbers from Johnny’s hands right in front of his eyes.</p><p>So when the both of them got right in front of the girls, Johnny was already introducing himself with his cool and charismatic smile that had the power to make anyone melt. “How you doing, girli-” he tried to say, only to be interrupted by one of the girls with short wavy hair in front of him.</p><p>“Don’t even try, Johnny” she said with a wide smirk. That was indeed really unexpected, so Jaehyun was shocked, to say the least. “We know about your lil’ bet. I mean, everyone in here knows already. But-” </p><p>“But we have our own bet ongoing too. And we are willing to give you our numbers, if any of you are willing to take a dare” the other girl finished, his hair also short but a furious red. She was having a blast already, according to the sharp snicker that followed her words. </p><p>“Just a dare? It’s on” Johnny responded in little less than a beat, completely casual about the whole thing. And alright, the guy was reckless and really knew how to play games, but Jaehyun suddenly got a weird feeling about those girls. </p><p>What on earth would they look so excited about, that regarded them? It seemed fishy. </p><p>“Oh, okay wow. I might just lose this one, Jiyoo” the one with wavy hair said, frowning “he is really willing to do anything” she whispered, but loud enough for them to still hear, obviously on purpose. </p><p>“Told ya” the Jiyoo girl responded, too pleased with herself while looking straight into Johnny’s eyes, literally daring him “You have to make out. That’s the dare” </p><p>“To make out with who?” Asked Jaehyun, calling everyone’s attention, confused about the whole thing, which, of course, didn’t mean he wasn’t willing to win those two numbers himself. Meaning that, he would make out with that ‘who’ if needed, in order to win.</p><p>“Uh, with each other” the redhead clarified as he lit a cigarette, now turning to the other “I thought it was kinda clear?” </p><p>“Yup, it was, they’re just too drunk to understand. Or maybe their masculinity is too fragile” the girl responded, and what the fucking hell, honestly.</p><p>That was by far the weirdest thing someone asked him to do. And, rudest. </p><p>Well, that was a lie of course it wasn’t that weird, but the fact that Johnny was his best friend made it weird. And the fact that a really prolonged silence ensued after that proposition was weird, too, because the girls were <em> mocking </em> them. </p><p>“It’s on” Johnny said then, not really easy going anymore, more like accepting the dare with all his will. </p><p>That was surprising since Johnny wasn’t that competitive, not with strangers. He was usually a marshmallow with regular people.</p><p>“What?” Jaehyun could only question while turning to him, because even though he was kinda light-headed and the music was so damn loud, he still could rationalize things, thank you very much.</p><p>“What?” Johnny asked back “Aren’t you up for it? It 's just a kiss” he said looking at the cocky girls before them with something Jaehyun couldn’t quite place. Then, he proceeded to lean into him, still looking at the girls and muttering in his ear “Let’s prove these girlies they know nothing about us” he continued, with a conspiratory air.</p><p>And as he took a moment to ponder about it, Jaehyun thought that the girls were being challenging in a really disrespectful way. And nobody disrespected them. </p><p>So, without really thinking too much he opted for not using his words, just turning around and getting a hold of Johnny's nape to seal their lips with a little too much force probably, but it wasn’t bad because they had a point to prove. He didn’t care about anything aside from that. </p><p>At first it was sloppy and intense the way their lips collided, attacking each other from every possible angle, on and on as the loud music kept on pounding in Jaehyun’s head like an alarm disconnecting him from reality. The only thing he could discern was Johnny. Johnny's lips, hands and breath on him, nothing more than that. </p><p>At some point Johnny parted his lips with his tongue, and Jaehyun gasped, surprised, because he hadn’t seen that coming. He was usually in control while making out, so it was certainly unexpected how his best friend’s tongue traveled all over his mouth, getting to know every part of him.</p><p>At the back of his head Jaehyun suddenly wondered what was happening, and above all, why they kept on going without stop. Yet, those thoughts were so vague, fading in the distance. They weren’t loud enough to make him actually try to stop. Not when it felt so good.</p><p>In a second, Johnny grabbed him by his waist, bringing his body forward and right into his chest, which was wide and strong and very much still naked and sweaty, and Jaehyun couldn’t get himself to feel grossed out by it. Not when the dire, raw need was stronger than rationality.</p><p>And he kept on wondering, touch by touch, <em> when the hell did he even get that big? </em> Jaehyun didn’t know. They went together to the gym and he had never noticed before.</p><p>Actually, he had noticed, yet he hadn’t ever wondered how it would feel to have their bodies pressed together, so close there wasn’t a fraction of space between them. So close he could feel the smallest twitch of stiff muscles against him and it was honestly driving him insane.</p><p>His body was working on its own as he moved his hands towards Johnny’s biceps, squishing the firmness in there and letting out a muffled gasp again, because Johnny was biting his lower lip. It was wet and he just bit back when he had the chance, with too much force and the other was the one gasping now, sounding so close to moaning that nothing of that could have been okay. </p><p>That was it for Jaehyun, after feeling that sound his legs just faltered and he fell down, clumsy and sloppy in the couch on his right, bringing Johnny, who was still holding tight on his waist, at the top of him. </p><p>Looking up he saw how the other’s eyes wouldn’t lose track of his lips at all, and all his blood travelled south when he took notice of their bodies pressed together. It was definitely too much, and he was so hot and the music was so loud he felt dizzy and intoxicated with heat.</p><p>“Jae” Johnny whispered close to his ear, tracing sweet pecks with his lips from his earlobe over his neck, causing him to get ticklish. “Wanna go home?” </p><p>“Y-yeah” He tried to respond but kept on getting interrupted by his own giggles. “Let’s- Let’s just find Mark and Tae” he finished as he released the strong hold on Johnny’s neck he didn’t quite remember having started. </p><p>“Come on” the other said as he detached himself from him, looking to their side at the now wide-eyed girls who were beyond stunned, with her mouths hanging open.</p><p>And as he let himself be dragged by Johnny, he directed his best sassy look towards the still unmoving girls on the couch, followed by a smirk because that was a win for the boys. </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t a win for the boys. </p><p>No, no it wasn’t at all. It was a mistake, a huge, serious, stupid mistake because what the fucking hell. </p><p>They made out. And he liked it. He got so turned on and he couldn’t conceive that statement as the truth. So he just didn't. He didn’t like kissing his very straight best friend. Because he was straight, too. Why would he find it pleasing to share spit with a dude? Or, or to touch his immaculate, glorious arms? </p><p>“You awake, dude?” Asked Johnny, somewhere in the same room, and he didn’t dare open his eyes because what the fuck. He felt like throwing up.</p><p>“Yup” he muttered weakly, though, because he couldn’t just fake he was still dead asleep.</p><p>“Wanna eat something?” Johnny sounded completely chill for some unknown reason.</p><p>Had he forgotten about the events of the past night? Maybe it had been all a dream and they never ever went to that party.</p><p>With hope, he opened his eyes fast and in a go, only to be suddenly blinded by light. It was so bright he knew he was hungover, so they had probably been to the party.</p><p>Even so, that didn’t necessarily imply he had made out with Johnny on a filthy sofa. So, still hopeful, he waited until he could freely see. </p><p>The first thing he caught sight of was Taeyong, laying face down on the floor with his soft, thin arms at both his sides, looking weak and weirdly positioned. It reminded him of an autumn leaf, hanging from a tree by just the smallest attachment. </p><p>He saw the living room’s blue neat walls decorated with dark shelves, a definitive characteristic of Johnny and Mark’s shared dorm. So they were at the guy’s. </p><p>He himself was lying on the smallest couch, which explained the obnoxious feeling on his twisted muscles and the general ache of his body. Okay, noticed.</p><p>“Jae? You okay?” After some minutes asked Johnny from the kitchen counter, that was connected with the living room by a frame. </p><p>As he caught sight of his best friend he realized that no, he wasn’t alright. He was rendered speechless because Johnny was preparing breakfast with nothing more than a black pair of briefs. What the fucking hell.</p><p>It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen him that way before. In fact, they saw each other naked pretty often. Like, in the gym, for example. In that case it wasn’t weird because they were just guys being dudes after training. But something felt different now as he acknowledged for the first time how well those briefs fitted him.</p><p>“Yup” he mumbled anyhow, not willing to talk about what was happening. He wasn’t even willing to accept any of it. “I think I need water though” he added, feeling dizzy and very likely still drunk.</p><p>“Here” Johnny said while getting out of the kitchen with two water bottles.''Catch“ </p><p>And regardless of his still active drunkness, he caught the bottle Johnny threw with grace, the symptoms being quite blended, as if they were just a reminiscent of the past night. Of his never ending amount of mistakes. </p><p>When he finally got to drink, he wouldn’t stop thinking and noticing things that weren’t alright. He couldn’t stop peeking at Johnny's lean body, how his stupid black briefs wrapped up rather sinfully around his crotch and how hot and reposeful he gulped down water with his Adam’s apple moving up and down, up and down, almost hypnotizingly. It was ridiculous.</p><p>“I need to go home” he voiced, already grabbing his stuff from the floor, a little desperate to get out and far away from his best friend.</p><p>“Did you even eat something?” Asked a sudden and clearly just awoken Mark, supported by the doorway’s frame, looking like shit.</p><p>Jaehyun, then, stopped his contained nervous motions at that because Mark looked so destroyed with his hair everywhere and bloodshot eyes. Like, he looked worse than what he usually looked after a party. </p><p>“What happened to you?” Was the only thing that escaped his lips.</p><p>“Ugh, you don’t wanna know. You two probably had a better night than mine” Mark sulked while shuffling towards the kitchen like a grounded kid. “Hey, is there any watermelon left?” he asked with so much hope it was actually endearing. <em> There better be watermelon in that goddamn refrigerator, for everyone’s happiness. </em></p><p>Johnny then, opening the refrigerator’s door while providing his softest reassuring smile, affirmed “Yes, there is~”</p><p>And the way in which Mark’s face lit up at that, as if he had seen the light, the meaning of life or something. It was iconic, Jaehyun really wanted to remember that precious expression because even though Mark’s face had always been like an open book, that was actually a whole new level of exhilaration.</p><p>“The world makes sense again” the enthusiastic kid stated peacefully to no one in particular, already chopping slices of the bright juicy watermelon on a plate and promptly skipping right next to the living room’s table, just by Taeyong’s passed out body and his. “Are you guys eating with me?” </p><p>“Yup” Responded Johnny in no time, and Jaehyun just stayed where he was because, how could someone have declined an invitation of that nature, from such a precious soul? It was impossible, in his opinion. Not even if he was having a weird sexuallity crisis. </p><p>So that was how he sat beside Johnny, real casual as if nothing ever happened and started playing Mario Kart together, the three of them while eating watermelon. </p><p>Taeyong woke up at some point and joined them, and even though he was already worrying about the three upcoming finals he owed for the week, he couldn’t ignore the hyperaware, overwhelming sensation on his body as his knee brushed against Johnny’s.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><h3>
  <strong>Secret sleepover</strong>
</h3><p> </p><p>“Why didn’t Mark join us today?” Asked Jaehyun hugging his pillow on his bed, looking as soft as a gigantic plushy would, laying impossibly chiller with his neat grey shorts and mushy looking black tee.</p><p>After having dinner together and with it having shared a bottle of red wine as per usual, they decided to watch a movie in his bedroom, in Johnny’s bedroom. </p><p>What wasn’t usual, though, was the fact that Mark hadn’t joined them.</p><p>“I think he’s already asleep” he responded, looking for the remote control. </p><p>Last time they watched their regular drama with Mark he didn’t make sure to keep the device close, which was a serious mistake because in the middle of it, when they needed to turn the volume up, they were too lazy to stand up and do something about it.“He had another date today, with that Donghyuck guy”</p><p>“Really?” Jaehyun asked, looking taken aback and Johnny could only agree in the motion.</p><p>“Yup. They had an express waffle date. He was so giddy when he came back, I swear he spent all his energy left maintaining that wide smile of his for the whole afternoon. A hilarious kid” he mumbled with a laugh as he <em> finally </em> spotted the remote. </p><p>Aside from the mockery, deep down Johnny was excited about Mark meeting someone. And well, he was also relieved he got to see more of the other’s smile, because in between college and work, his roommate had been really pushing himself to the limit.</p><p>“Ah dude, I don’t know why that makes me relieved. I was kinda worried about him” Jaehyun said, still looking breathtaking and soft sprawled over the bed.</p><p>For him, it was unthinkable how someone could look like that on a Monday night. Most importantly if said person had started his routine at 6 o’clock AM. </p><p>It was almost eleven at the time, at least he should have had baggy eyes or like, greasy hair. Something.</p><p>“What are you looking at?” Jaehyun questioned, suddenly acknowledging him staring.</p><p>“Nothing, I was just wondering if you were gonna fall asleep like last time”</p><p>“What? I didn’t!” Jaehyun whined but with a little grin in his face, one that confirmed there wasn’t any actual debate happening in there. Both him and Jaehyun knew how the latter had fallen deeply asleep during a key moment last time. Because he snored. Loud.</p><p>It had become a habit for them, for some reason, to watch romantic movies together while cuddling, but only when Mark didn’t join them. It was definitely not what best friends did whenever they had the opportunity, and definitely not something they <em> shared with their other friends </em>, Johnny had come to the conclusion.</p><p>“And I bet you will today again. By the way, are you staying for the night?” he asked while getting inside the bed, right beside Jaehyun, who looked kinda asleep already. “Here” he said as he provided his arm for the younger to use as a pillow.</p><p>“Yeah, if you’re okay with that” Jaehyun hummed, his eyes already sleepy and narrowed, almost closed as he grabbed a hold of the bicep that was pilowing his head. That was something that the younger would occasionally do, mainly when he was tipsy and it would drive Johnny insane, because his long lean fingers couldn’t wrap up entirely around the whole curvature of it. It was cute.</p><p>With confusion, Johnny thought he didn’t really know the meaning of those interactions anymore, since they were borderline more than what friends did in usual social language. Yet, neither of them talked about it. Not even once.</p><p>“Of course” he responded as he pressed play.</p><p>Still pondering about their relationship, Johnny found himself going over and over the past events, paying no mind to the movie. </p><p>Things between them changed since that party, that unexpected party where they had kissed almost a year ago. But inexplicably enough, they were still the same best bros as ever.</p><p>A kind of swift shift in their friendship started since that kiss up to that point though, where they would cuddle and caress each other in between silent nights and hitched breaths.</p><p>Rewinding a little bit, it hadn’t been like that out of nowhere, no. Actually, right after the day they kissed, Jaehyun got distant with him. He failed his finals the week that followed and started to neglect Johnny and the rest of the guys. He wouldn’t pick up any call, nor join movie nights and their usual activities.</p><p>Thankfully, that unpredicted aloofness of his lasted two weeks at most, and in no time they got back to normal. What was more, they found that ‘new’ normal, where they showed affection with each other more often than not. </p><p>And although being cuddly and affectionate were things that he didn’t quite fear doing with Jaehyun, he couldn’t help but find them strange at times. Fundamentally when they only did it freely in the comfort of each other’s bedrooms and carried away by alcohol.</p><p>His train of thought was interrupted, suddenly, by a steady-breathing on his arms. It was obviously Jaehyun, with the side of his head supported on his chest, looking ridiculously beautiful and he could swear the lightning in the room sucked for him to look like that.</p><p>With a sigh he just turned off the TV (See, the remote control was really important), going to sleep rather peacefully, with his best friend softly snoring on his arms and the usual tired feeling of a monday weighing on him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When he woke up he did it to the sound of his insistent alarm and the sunshine leaping through the trees outside his open window in the greatest possible way, because the light that actually made it inside warmed their bed, making it all cozy and homey in the chilly autumn morning. </p><p>Actually, it was almost eleven, it wasn’t precisely morning and he had classes in twenty minutes. Good thing college was just a breath away from his dorm.</p><p>On his side Jaehyun hummed, laying on the same exact spot he last remembered him, and he couldn’t get himself to wake the guy up. He looked so reposeful and tranquil with his smooth bangs scattered all over the place. </p><p>So, instead of doing that Johnny settled for getting out of bed and scribbling a little message on a random paper, discarding it near him.</p><p>That was how he, really easy going, started to make his way out, stopping right in his tracks for a second to take a brief look at Jaehyun now turned over where Johnny himself had been laying only minutes before. That image made him melt a little because the younger was snoring lightly with his hands looking for something to hold to. Or rather someone.</p><p>And with that sight and those thoughts Johnny felt realization hit him like a thunderbolt, too fast and too much and he knew, he was sure, one hundred percent that he liked his best friend. <em> Romantically speaking. </em></p><p>That was why he couldn’t stop himself from getting closer and leaning into that image, placing his lips in the center of his forehead with so much care it was a little ridiculous. Even for him.</p><p>“Have a nice day, Jae” he mumbled out loud, a little befuddled. Even daring to caress the side of Jaehyun’s soft cheek for a second.</p><p>And he turned around fast to go out, because even though his ‘brand-new’ feelings for his best friend were worth his attention, so was his class about designing exhibitions if he wanted to graduate already.</p><p>That was why he simply walked away, mildly thinking about his architecture studies and mildly thinking about Jaehyun, still laying like an angel on his bed. </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>It was all a blur. </p><p>The funny sounds coming from a cell phone, the rustle of the bedsheets and in consequence, the lack of arms around him, holding him tight. The soft peck on his forehead and the wish of a nice day; the sun rays warming up his face, the loud silence in the dorm occasionally interrupted by the blow of a horn coming from the streets.</p><p>It was all a blur and Jaehyun was tired and disoriented when he opened his eyes, but above all, he was alone.</p><p>Maybe those vague sensations weren’t just the leftovers of a pleasing dream, blending with reality and melting down in one unintelligible thing as he previously thought, because he was really alone in Johnny’s bed.</p><p>In order to fully wake up he rubbed his eyes with force, making his way outside the fluffy covers and as his feet touched the freezing floor, he stood still trying to really wake up, getting a strange feeling on his chest. </p><p>Had he imagined Johnny kissing his forehead, caressing his cheeks? Wishing him a good day? Because, if he had, then he should panic over it.</p><p>However, he didn’t get to react as his still very confused self came across a little note on Johnny’s bedside desk.</p><p>
  <em> ‘I went to class! Couldn’t wake u up...I know today is your first holiday in a while. So yeah have breakfast and such, this is your home do whatevs. You know where the key is in case you wanna leave. Text you later bro, have a nice day!’ </em>
</p><p>Oh. Okay.</p><p>Jaehyun dropped the slightly crumpled note on the bed right after reading it, taking a look at himself in the mirror by the bed.</p><p>A worn out dude stared back at him, with enormous dark circles under his eyes and puffy eyes and cheeks. Guess he would have to drop by his own apartment to shower or something before going to his classes that would start in an hour and a half, he took notice as he observed the clock hanging by the mirror.</p><p>Standing up, he collected his stuff and got ready to leave, but when he was near the door he realised something was wrong. So, so wrong because the spare keys weren’t behind Mark’s Frank Ocean CD on the shelf, as they should. </p><p>They weren’t, either, in the tiny desk beside the couches, the kitchen counter, the weird ashtray Johnny liked to use as an exotic decoration but actually never used. Nowhere. No freaking keys at sight.</p><p>And he didn’t know what to do with the events unfolding. He didn’t wanna go to class but also didn’t want to be absent, neither stay there trapped until who knew when. </p><p>He didn’t know what to do because he might have dreamed about Johnny kissing and caressing him, taking care of him and that wasn’t alright. </p><p>He knew he shouldn’t have stayed the night because doing so put at stake something delicate between them, something intangible and distant but still there. The one thing he had been trying to avoid so hard for those few months: confusing situations. But no, exhaustion had gotten the best of him and he simply let his guard down.<em> So stupid. </em></p><p>At some point he got good at denying things happening to him. And it wouldn’t have been so bad, if it wasn’t for the fact that their friends were slowly catching up. Meaning that he wasn’t subtle anymore. Meaning that Johnny probably noticed it too.</p><p>For example, Taeyong and Doyoung asked the other day if him and Johnny were dating, which was insane and stupid and ridiculous because they weren’t. They were just close best friends that sometimes shared some intimacy whenever they drank a little bit. Not a huge deal.</p><p>Luckily, Mark was going insane with college and with some zumba instructor dude he had a crush on, so he wasn’t suspicious and it was comforting and safe to hang out with him because of that (Kudos to Mark Lee). But, aside from that, a lot of things started to change in their dynamics. They weren’t...the same as they used to. But at the same time they still were. It was weird.</p><p>They started to nap together and eat together and drink together, doing things that best friends did all the time. They would share shower at the gym and even compliment each other quite often when working out. That was common.</p><p>Now the cuddling aspect, that started pretty recently and it wasn’t common if he was being honest. Neither anything regarding kisses and dreams and caresses, for god’s sake.</p><p>He sighed loudly in the quiet of the dorm, getting comfortable in the coach and turning on the TV, ready to accept his fate since neither Johnny nor Mark were picking up the phone. They were probably both busy studying and working.</p><p>So he would have to stay there, wasting his only holiday from work of the month trapped in a dorm to think about the mess he had gotten into, without really trying to.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>By the time his classes were starting and he still found himself sitting on his friend’s couch watching a lame TV show about engines, he felt so frustrated he decided to prepare some coffee. </p><p>He was in Johnny’s dorm after all, he knew where his best friend kept his exquisite coffee grains for special occasions. And he was gonna drink it because that was a special occasion to cry.</p><p>But midway preparing it, he heard the front door magically unlocking itself, so he turned around in a rush, still in a bad mood but relieved because at least he would get the hell out of that dorm where everything he touched seemed to be Johnny’s. </p><p>“Jae, what are you doing?” Asked a confused Mark on the doorway, backpack hanging from his shoulder and keys still in hand.</p><p>“What do you think I am doing, Mark?” he asked back with certain sarcasm, pouring coffee in Johnny's black mug. </p><p>On the other side of the room, Mark still looked so dazed in the doorway, Jaehyun could easily imagine the equations before him.</p><p>“I meant like. What are you doing here in my kitchen?” </p><p>Uh. That was an interesting question he didn’t exactly want to respond to. Was he just trapped in his best friend’s kitchen, casually preparing coffee or was he having the mental breakdown of the year? </p><p>The real answer wasn’t important, so he chose to use the first option as his explanation. </p><p>“Our friend John Suh rushed out of the house because he was late for class and forgot to let me out” </p><p>And it was alright, Johnny wasn’t one to be blamed for all he knew. That spare key was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, because even though it was usually in the same place, they used it more often than not. Meaning that it could get lost pretty easily.</p><p>“Oh. Okay” Mark said after some seconds, entering the dorm but still looking astounded.</p><p>Minutes later though, as if a light bulb went on inside his head, he said “Wait, wait. Why were you here in the first place?”</p><p>And well, Jaehyun was ready to deactivate and die because he took back what he previously stated about Mark being a clueless, oblivious bean. Mark asked the question as though he knew something was up, which was frankly concerning. </p><p>“We...had a sleepover?” Was his best attempt at explaining himself. </p><p>It wasn’t necessary to say his best attempt sucked, because he sounded nervous and guilty over something that should have been normal. Best friend’s had sleepovers all the time, so why did he feel so off?</p><p>“I knew something was up between you too!!” Mark screamed, then, and Jaehyun was about to faint, ready to confess he was conflicted about his sexuality and maybe cry about it. But Mark kept on going. “Why wouldn’t you invite me over, guys? I’d have gone”</p><p>…</p><p>What?</p><p>After that last line, it was safe to say Jaehyun couldn't believe the oblivion. Seriously, it was borderline silly. </p><p>It had to be a joke or something, get the cameras out, it wasn’t funny but Mark stood there for a prolonged time, still pouting and Jaehyun just knew the kid was still a clueless bean.</p><p>He couldn’t understand <em> how </em>, but he was safe, at least.</p><p>So in the end, thanking the force of the universe, when Jaehyun saw the chance to leave he took it in no time, ready to go far away from there, leaving a still confused Mark and a trace of questions behind him that wouldn’t disappear in the near future.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><h3>
  <strong>Music, dance</strong>
</h3><p> </p><p>There was just so much sweat someone could get out of their system without dehydrating to death and Jaehyun was wondering if he was at that point already.</p><p>His neck was dripping wet, just like the rest of his body, his shirt sticking to his back without really leaving room for anything else, not air, not even atoms apart. He could actually imagine those little thingies dancing along, being cute and all. Even sweating, too.</p><p>He snickered to himself over that thought, over atoms sweating on his sweaty, damp back against his black tee, but he wasn’t so sure if he even snickered for real because he could hear nothing but the loud upbeat music in the theatre’s bar. </p><p>He was dancing. And he was drunk at a theatre party in a small heated room with big wide stained colorful glass windows. </p><p>So far it had been so wild and odd, but in the best possible way because it was wild enough for him to feel loose, dancing like crazy and odd enough to learn and see lots of unusual, different things. </p><p>And what was better, there wasn’t a single familiar face aside from his friends, which was nice. He felt like nobody gave a shit about what he did and it felt so liberating, to a point he didn’t know he previously needed. </p><p>They ended up there in the first place because they had been invited by Mark’s crush, also known as the zumba instructor, who was an actor in the play they came to watch. And so far, Jaehyun could only describe the experience as mind blowing. </p><p>Right after the play ended, there was a lip sync battle in the hallway outside and that was when he started to feel loose, not only because of the beers he got with Johnny but also about the diversity. Like, he saw dudes wearing makeup and high heels. It was kinda weird but Jaehyun would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little dazzled by them, too.</p><p>Now on the dance floor, he spotted the previously mentioned actor, Donghyuck, by Mark’s side sitting in the corner of the room, talking animatedly about something even though the music was loud. Jaehyun smiled to himself at the sight of Mark looking so gone, with his cheeks flushed red and slightly closed eyes. He was clearly drunk, just like himself.</p><p>Then he turned to his side, to Johnny, who had been dancing with him to that funky music since Taeyong drifted off to the bar to start a debate with the owner of the place -Kun- Jaehyun thought he heard Donghyuck call him.</p><p>“Wanna try?” asked Johnny, suddenly taking a hit of a joint.</p><p>And it wouldn’t matter how many times it happened, he would forever be astonished at Johnny’s capacity to just pop up things in the blink of an eye, without any previous hint of having possessed them in the first place.</p><p>“Where did you get it?” he asked back, nodding anyway and letting his best friend place the joint on his lips, promptly lighting it.</p><p>Taking a hit after so long was probably a mistake; It was too much for him in a go as he started coughing loudly, feeling his throat ablaze and eyes tearing up.</p><p>“Oh-oh my god-d” he tried talking in between coughs as Johnny took himself another hit, not really losing his composure at all, just turning around and looking over the bar’s counter.</p><p>While he kept on coughing, he wondered how Johnny was that well. The guy had chronic rhinitis, meaning that he was usually the one having trouble breathing through his nose. Not Jaehyun.</p><p>So, how exactly was he able to literally just blow a stream of smoke through his nostrils as if nothing? That query sure went directly into the never-ending list about facts Jaehyun wouldn’t ever understand.</p><p>“Yeah, right? Those are hybrid strains, I think” Johnny informed, giving him a glass of water he <em> suddenly </em> got as he started dragging him by his hand towards another room that was laced with the bar. “That guy Taeil from the play gave it to me. You know, a friend of Mark’s crush”</p><p>The theatre was actually an old quaint house, really pleasing aesthetically speaking; like an eighties house mixed with a sunny italian summer hotel- A mix of those in Jaehyun’s uncultured and currently intoxicated mind, at least.</p><p>The room they got to was still close to the bar, so the music could be heard but not as loud and the floor was made of old damp wooden boards that moved precariously as they stepped across it.</p><p>There were two other doors at each side of the walls that led to other rooms, Jaehyun assumed, and soon enough, without even realizing they had already stumbled into a big, dusty worn out sofa placed in the center of the back wall. </p><p>“Did you know that…-”. Johnny started saying something, keeping up with the infinite amount of words he always knew their perfect usage, but Jaehyun could only wonder why he felt like his flesh was melting down and his soul was actually parting from his bones, flying upwards and into the air.</p><p>“Jae?”</p><p>The mention of his name brought him back, alarmed and confused, but he saw Johnny before him, just Johnny talking to him with his smooth like an angel voice.</p><p>“Those flowers were strong, dude what” he voiced, cracking up so hard he feared not being able to ever stop. He wouldn’t mind if that happened though, not when Johnny’s beautiful laugh sounded loud too, as loud as if it was coming from his own brain. </p><p>But no, Johnny was really laughing beside him like crazy, and still having a blast, he took another look at the room. </p><p>On his right, he saw what seemed to be one of the two doors but it wasn’t glued to the wall, like a regular door would. That door was literally hanging from the ceiling by a chain, and it was supported by a rail at the top part of it, creating a precarious slide when someone opened it.</p><p>“Wow- Look at that door” he heard himself exhale, already standing up and directing his feeble steps towards it.</p><p>Opening it, and with it feeling the way the door made a weird creaking sound, he entered the sudden darkness curiously, turning backwards to acknowledge Johnny was right behind him.</p><p>And when he switched on the light, he realized they were in a bathroom. A beautiful, colorful room, filled with posters, drawings and paintings all over its old wooden walls.</p><p>“Dude, this is a bathroom” Stated Johnny now on his side, so delighted Jaehyun felt the same laugh as before starting to bubble up inside his chest.</p><p>“Look at the bathtub” he whispered, gaping at the smooth curvature of the marble with bewilderment. It looked special, all painted with bright colours and funny shapes. “It’s so beautiful. Wanna take a nap” He heard himself exhale slowly, without a single trace of rationality left in him.</p><p>And as Johnny was closing the door, leaving them both under that warm dim light, he heard him mutter “Then we should nap” really easy going, as if he hadn’t just said ‘we’ instead of ‘you’. As if he wasn’t implying they should sleep in an unknown place, squished together in a bathtub that would hardly fit them both. </p><p>As if he wasn’t addressing something, with freaking real words.</p><p>For a moment, he couldn’t do anything but look into Johnny’s dark, unwavering eyes, asking every unvoiced question he didn’t dare to say aloud. Still staring, he felt something between them, an unfamiliar sentiment, one that felt welcoming and risky and it was overwhelming the way he was suddenly walking towards Johnny. </p><p>Guided by something hidden within himself, he nodded softly as he took Johnny’s hand again, leading them both to the large marble bathtub, eyes not leaving each other’s once. </p><p>And when they were finally lying comfortably against that cold surface, Johnny’s arms were instantly around his waist, holding him so tight he forgot about the million pinpricks piercing through his body with every pulsation of his heart. The utter firmness that was Johnny's body against his back felt like gravity in that weird levitating state of his.</p><p>The world was moving so slow and Jaehyun’s soul was trying to escape his physical flesh again, when he felt soft brushes of lips against his nape and shoulders, brushes that made him completely melt out of pure contentment. </p><p>Sighing, he decided to turn around to look at Johnny again. To look at his slightly closed eyes, relaxed face, at his arms carefully placed around his body and he couldn’t stop, neither did he want to.</p><p>“Thank you” Jaehyun whispered even though he didn’t know what he was thankful for. The only thing Jaehyun’s poor overwhelmed mind could understand was Johnny’s soft caresses on his lower back, heating everything he touched, as if electricity was running down his hands.</p><p>Then he felt a brush of lips against his. Soft, tantalizing and elevating in a way he wasn’t sure it was even real. Those actions were instantly followed by the question “Why?” coming out of Johnny’s mouth with delight, as usual, letting that endearing smile take over his face up to the point Jaehyun thought he was being held by the sweetest person on earth.</p><p>The sweetest, greatest, funniest human being, and the list could keep on going, on and on in Jaehyun’s dazed thoughts. He had no intention to answer, yet the silence that fell between them didn’t last long because, from the door, three soft but insistent knocks could be heard.</p><p>“Is someone in there? I really gotta pee” screamed a voice from the other side.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>“What are the odds?” Asked Johnny, completely gone in between laughs and overdramatic motions. </p><p>He was way higher than Jaehyun, who after the bathtub cuddling session had significantly sobered up. Yet, as he ate the most delicious pizza from all existence with ease, he couldn’t help but keep on laughing sleepily at Johnny’s still pretty active <em> insanity </em>.</p><p>“I mean, we’ve been playing for...how much? Eight months now?” his best friend continued, face filled with bewilderment. </p><p>“I don’t know. The only thing I’m sure about is that we were born to beat some ass together” Donghyuck voiced as equally contented, with the only difference that he was looking around, seemingly searching for something.</p><p>“Marky’s over there” Jaehyun decided to make it easy for the actor and just pointed at Mark in the corner of the dancefloor talking with Donghyuck’s theatre friends.</p><p>Even though Jaehyun had met Donghyuck just that night, since they were all pretty drunk and high, social barriers were invisible in the process of making friends. And the fact that they already had a type of bond, as his very best friend Mark had been thirsting over Donghyuck for two or three weeks now made it a lot easier. </p><p>However, they discovered right after bumping into the actor on their way out of the bathroom, that Johnny and Donghyuck played overwatch together. So, they knew each other from before Mark even got to meet Donghyuck. It was honestly insane, one of those weird coincidences of the world, Jaehyun guessed.</p><p>“He is so….” Donghyuck slurred, as the three of them watched Mark explaining something to the others only in the way he could: with all his body, arms moving all over the place alongside each word that left his mouth. “...dorky” the actor finished as he bursted out laughing, infecting both Johnny and him with laughter just as much because of the unexpected turn of words.</p><p>After the laugh quieted down some minutes later, Donghyuck found his cue to smile politely at them and excuse himself to get closer to his friends and Mark. Kinda fast.</p><p>As Johnny and he shared a knowing look, because Mark had started to malfunction at the sight of Donghyuck approaching, Jaehyun felt for the first time ever comfortable with the events unfolding that night. <em> All </em> of the events unfolding.</p><p>“It’s just 3AM. What’s your plan? Coming with me to the dancefloor or staying here finishing that arugula pizza?” Johnny asked, standing up with his impossibly sweeter smile directed at him and only him.</p><p>“Dude, we’re only starting here” He responded playfully as he grabbed his bottle of beer and promptly joined the other on the dance floor, feeling loose and at ease. </p><p>And as he danced to the upbeat music, he thought that freedom he felt had nothing to do with alcohol or weed. No, maybe it had to do with that one smile meant for him and only him. </p><p> </p><p>~</p><h3>
  <strong>Movie night</strong>
</h3><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <b>Marky</b>
</p><p>Hey bro, don’t wait for me tonight 7:15 PM</p><p>I know it’s movie night but Donghyuck needs to 7:15 PM </p><p>practice some makeup on me or something 7:16 PM</p><p>sorry, be back tomorrow!!!!! 7:16 PM</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Johnny</b>
</p><p>We knew already Mark 7:22 PM</p><p>You’re not really unexpected anymore, you know that right? 7:22 PM</p><p> </p><p>Good luck getting laid tho!! 7:23 PM</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Marky</b>
</p><p>WHaT 7:26 PM</p><p>DON’T SAY THOSE THINGS OMG 7:26PM</p><p>He is really just doing some makeup on me 7:26 PM</p><p> nothing more 7:27 PM</p><p> </p><p>Anyway, good night! Tell Jae I say hi!! 7:28 PM</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>Johnny read that last message and he could only sigh, clearly amused about his roommate's not subtle getaways. </p><p>“He isn’t coming, right?” asked Jaehyun, paying no mind to the upcoming answer while he prepared the snacks for the movie. </p><p>“Nope. Guess it’s just you and me for tonight” He decided to voice out, sounding a little more flirtatious than he had previously intended.</p><p>Still, it wasn’t a big deal. After all, it had been a few months since they started to flirt with each other. Their silly games that clearly masked something more serious than what they could have ever expected were pretty visible for everyone, too, and Johnny couldn’t do anything aside from just going with the flow.</p><p>“I’m fine with that” Jaehyun whispered as he flopped down right next to him on the couch, playing the movie they chose for the night as he hooked one leg over his.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>“Have you ever noticed how Jaehyun is way much funnier and easy going when Johnny is around?” Donghyuck asked, making a pause to hold his chin with his fingers as if pondering real hard. ”I mean he is a nice dude by himself but whenever he is alone, I don’t know. He is just different. Chiller, maybe”</p><p>And Mark could just glare at his boyfriend, incredulous. </p><p>Was that really something to think about when he was<em> literally </em> just a breath away from sucking his dick?</p><p>“I’m literally an exhale away from your clothed boner and you’re thinking about my best friends?” Mark asked, beyond stupefaction. “What the hell, Donghyuck”</p><p>“Don’t try to bring this on me, hun. You’re taking too-” but he never got to finish his sentence as he felt the other giving a tentative lick over the loose basketball shorts hugging his tanned legs “l-long”</p><p>That was certainly better for Mark; Donghyuck stuttering, definitely not as unaffected and careless as before.</p><p>“What were you saying now?” he asked with mockery, licking another stripe across his clothed length.</p><p>“Fuck you” muttered Donghyuck with his mouth open, after having had a hard time repressing a moan that made Mark twitch on his own shorts.</p><p>“You wish” Mark responded after a beat, still with confidence, which was weird since Donghyuck was usually the one driving him insane, taking the lead -not only in bed, but in every single aspect of their new shared life. “And actually, I’ll have to agree. Jae is a lot funnier when he is with Johnny.” He proceeded to say as he started palming the other slowly, almost teasingly through the goddamn shorts that were starting to get soaked real fast.</p><p>“Now who’s being w-weird? keeping with this convo” Donghyuck whimpered with eyes closed, but the second he opened them he was already smirking.</p><p>And that was certainly so unfair. How could Donghyuck be so vulnerable, all displayed for him, but still in charge? Because Mark was losing his shit and he wasn’t even on the receiving end of a freaking handjob. </p><p>It was worse for him though, he thought, because he was on the receiving end of Donghyuck's antics. </p><p>Looking down, his boyfriend before him was like a piece of art and he could only observe the way the other’s legs trembled a little and his chest heaved in between gasps. That was an image Mark wanted to remember because it was luring, how the rhythm of Donghyuck’s body was tuneful and melodious, reacting with every touch and caress of his hands, every kiss and every lick of his mouth.</p><p>“Shall I talk about Taeyong and Doyoung now?” Donghyuck blurted out, bringing him back from his appreciation moment. “I mean, if that’s what it takes for you to touch me <em> again </em>, you know” </p><p>And although that last comment was meant to come out sassy and bold and reprimanding, Mark didn’t miss the way Donghyuck couldn’t hold back a blazing smile, one that was only aimed at him whenever they were in the comfort of each other, sharing intimacy and nothing else. Nothing more but themselves. </p><p>“Oh my god, no” he denied as he went upwards, hovering over the other fast and forward to squish Donghyuck’s cheeks with his hands, dropping all his weight on top him and placing his lips on his, pecking them repeatedly. “You don’t need to do that” </p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>“Bless you” Said Johnny from behind him, his body almost pressing against his back.</p><p>“Gosh, thanks” Jaehyun breathed, getting a hold of his head because that was just how hard he sneezed. He, then, wiggled his way closer to the heating body behind him, since otherwise he would fall off the coach.</p><p>“Did you know that when you suddenly sneeze hard it means someone is talking about you?” his best friend stated, already amused about something. “I bet Mark’s sorry ass is talking about you, or about your new vinyls you bought last week. He won’t shut up bout em’ when you aren’t here”</p><p>“I didn’t know that” he said, smiling at the mental image of Mark fanboying over the expensive limited edition vinyls he recently acquired. The guy could be really endearing at times. “But I don’t think so. I mean he is at Donghyuck’s. The least thing they would be doing on a Saturday night is talking about me” </p><p>And he thought it would be slightly weird if they would. In the end, they were both very busy people mixed up with studies (at least Donghyuck) and work, so Jaehyun imagined they didn’t have much time to share intimacy. Actually, Mark whined about wanting to get laid with Donghyuck sometimes, so it was more like a fact than his imagination.</p><p>However, some weeks ago Donghyuck’s roommate moved in with his boyfriends, leaving the actor with the dorm all to himself. So, that was how Johnny and him said goodbye to Mark Lee’s existence during weekends for the near future. Press F to pay respect, saturday movie nights with the three of them together would be remembered. </p><p>“They are really happy, aren’t they?” suddenly asked Johnny on his nape, and he felt the need to repress a shudder at the warm exhale on his back. </p><p>“Yup. I can’t forget their smiles when we got to the beach on Hyuck’s birthday. They were so happy” Jaehyun responded, still shifting under Johnny’s gigantic hold. </p><p>“Yeah. They are in love” the other stated, and with that last line they fell silent, their conversation already finished as the screams of a crying man in the movie resounded loudly in the darkness of the room. The only light was the sparkly flashes of thunders in the <em> highly dramatic scene </em>, splashing all over their resting silhouettes. </p><p>At some point, Johnny let one of his hands rest on Jaehyun’s stomach, just staying there while his other arm pillowed his head. It wasn’t even necessary to say before that shift Jaehyun couldn’t really focus anymore on the complicated plot; he could only feel the flat surface laying there, burning through his tee and skin in an agonizingly warm way.</p><p>It wasn’t a weird silence in which they rested, but it was indeed one where something was about to happen. At least that was what Jaehyun’s senses were screaming at him.</p><p>With the suspicion that no one was truly paying attention to the movie anymore, he felt, deep in his guts the need, the want to do something, to move by just an inch and finally lean entirely into Johnny, letting himself be held like last time.</p><p>And for the first time, he did just that. He moved backwards by just an inch and stood still, body contracted and breath hitched, feeling how his back brushed against the firm chest he knew too well by now, wondering what the hell was he doing, starting to freak out.</p><p>But then Johnny pressed the whole surface of his body against his, making his breath stop because he felt so good, so nervous and excited, it wasn’t even weird. Not anymore. Actually, It had been a while since he felt that way in someone’s hands. </p><p>So he turned around, coming face to face with Johnny’s warm eyes and he panicked but at the same time not, because it was just Johnny, his best friend looking at him, turning him on and caressing him only the way he could for the past year and a half. </p><p>“What the hell are we doing?” he asked, breathy and small, his trembling voice a nice representation of what was happening inside of him: a mix of excitement and fear. It reminded him of playing hide and seek as a child; of the way his heart would run fast when he hid, and even faster as he ran and ran euphorically towards the place he so desperately <em> wanted </em> to run.</p><p>“I don’t know, dude” Johnny responded with a small smile, not exactly in the same intense and alarmed state as him. “The only thing I know is that I really wanna kiss you right now” </p><p>“Um, why? That’s...gay” Jaehyun voiced then, after flinching in the other’s strong hold. </p><p>A hold that was very much gay, just like kissing and cuddling your best friend was. Just like showering together in the gym or daydreaming about their biceps in ‘Advertising &amp; society ll’.</p><p>“Do you think this isn’t?” Asked then Johnny, making emphasis with his hands, still holding him in a tight embrace.</p><p>And as the minutes kept on going Johnny took his hand away, leaving him to freeze to death, and no, Jaehyun wasn’t being dramatic. He was panicking.</p><p>“Are we...gay?” Was the best three words he could whisper over the sad piano symphony coming from an imminent angsty scene on the TV, looking anywhere but at Johnny.</p><p>He had actually been wondering (read: panicking) that for some time, at the back of his mind and depths of his heart. He even unintentionally talked about it with Mark, once, in the midst of a crisis. But of course asking it out loud gave the situation a whole different level of significance.</p><p>“Do you like men?” </p><p>What.</p><p>“Of course not” </p><p>“Me neither. That doesn’t change the fact that I wanna kiss you like, all the time” Johnny uttered, as if he wasn’t destroying him and his conception of their relationship with those words.</p><p>What. </p><p>“I don’t think we need to label it, as long as we both feel comfortable and alright with each other.” His best friend explained, detaching himself from him and sitting slowly up on the couch. “I wanna kiss you and that shouldn’t be a big deal. Of course if you don’t want to, I won’t ever ask again. I just like, felt like we could” he ended up saying with a shrug, almost disappointed and Jaehyun couldn’t help but blurt out his only possible answer.</p><p>“Of course I wanna kiss you too” He said, displaying all the cards on the table, already fearful because maybe they were gonna make a mistake.</p><p>Although, he recovered rather fast, to his own surprise. After all, it was just Johnny before him. Johnny, his best friend. Johnny, who had his trust. “I just don’t want...things changing between us”</p><p>“Jae, I don’t think they will. I mean, I feared that too at first, but it’s been almost two years since we first kissed and even though things changed, I don’t...dislike it” Johnny replied and Jaehyun confirmed just how good his best friend was with his words because he just said it, without further fuss.</p><p>Sitting up straight, now facing Johnny, Jaehyun took a moment to think. Even though overthinking was what got them there, confused and messy- just sharing each other under the influences of toxic substances- he really needed to get his shit together. It was just Johnny. It wouldn’t be wrong, would it? </p><p>“For me, the problem is the label. I mean labels probably help a lot of people to sort things out, but I feel like it’s repressing us-” Johnny kept on going, and Jaehyun felt, perceived even, that Johnny was ranting. Meaning that he was just as nervous and desperate as him. “Don’t you think? Like they shouldn’t-” but he was cut.</p><p>By Jaehyun’s lips on his. And Johnny let an exhale escape his bunged up nose, one that let all his worries and tension melt down, too, because it was alright to kiss and hug and do whatever they wanted. </p><p>Then Jaehyun was the one sighing and deepening the kiss, almost pushing the older down the coach because he was getting carried away. And it was alright, because he didn’t feel ashamed or wrong. He was kissing his best friend, after all. The coolest person on earth.</p><p>Nevertheless, after a while, when they parted he did feel embarrassed, as the loud screams of a mad woman on the screen contrasted rather dramatically with the softness within them, with the softness in their eyes and the simple, yet loving caresses of Johnny’s hands on his cheeks.</p><p>“Bro. We’re gay. This is gay” he finally said, making them both laugh.</p><p> </p><p>~</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Haechan (overwatch-Mark)</b>
</p><p>OMG JOHNNY MARK TOLD ME YOU’RE KINDA DATING JAEHYUN 8:12 AM</p><p>CONGRATS 8:12 AM</p><p>I mean he said you aren’t dating but well 8:12 AM</p><p>kinda 8:13 AM</p><p>anyway Mark now owes me sdf 8:13 AM</p><p>asjfnsdfxvd 8:13 AM</p><p> </p><p>Mark the fucker tried to prevent me from sending this 8:19 AM</p><p>anyway what I was saying 8:19 AM</p><p>I’m happy for you dude 8:19 AM</p><p> </p><p>Dramatic change of topic 8:20 AM</p><p>Wanna play overwatch tonight? I’m in the mood for a win 8:20 AM</p><p>
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</p><p>Johnny read Donghyuck’s messages as a million other notifications popped up at the same time. It was, <em> oh wow what a shock. gasp gasp </em>, his roommate.</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>Marky</b>
</p><p>omg I’m so sorry didn’t know hyuck would OVERREACT LIKE THIS 8:19 AM</p><p>I mean he won our lognest bet I giv ehim that 8:19 AM</p><p>But sending you a message????? 8:20 AM</p><p>He is a disrespectful soul 8:20 AM</p><p>Wait I wqfrsth 8:21 AM </p><p>
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</p><p>And Johnny couldn’t believe the kids. Whatever the hell was happening at that moment must’ve been stupidly violent and hilarious he could imagine, at freaking eight in the morning on a Sunday. </p><p>Suddenly, his phone started vibrating, and Mark was calling. But, to his surprise (although, not really) It was Donghyuck screaming on the phone, out of breath and in the midst of rustling and mumbles coming from behind.</p><p><em> “Can you believe Mark doesn’t let me do what I need to do?” </em> Donghyuck proceeded to scream on the phone, out of breath and giggly, clearly wrestling with Mark, whose gasps and complaints could be heard behind Donghyuck’s screams.</p><p>
  <em> “Bro, I’m sorry didn’t know if you wanted to tell him yet I just mentioned because we had-”  </em>
</p><p>And no sooner had Mark appeared, than he was gone again and Johnny was actually fighting against a snicker threatening to just explode near Jaehyun’s sleeping face because those kids were beyond belief.</p><p><em> “Anyhow, just wanted to send my regards and my blessing” </em> Donghyuck said, a little calmer as he heard Mark now screaming in the background, kinda faded, meaning that Donghyuck had probably shut himself in a separate room. <em> “Mark now owes me dinner for a week”  </em></p><p>“That’s great, Hyuckie” he said, delighted but well, confused too. He had just been awoken by those kiddos.</p><p>That was by far the funniest way to wake up on a sunday morning, even if it was at freaking eight AM.</p><p>Jaehyun, who had been asleep until then, opened his eyes slowly and dazed by his side. “Who's that, John?” he asked with a raspy, deep voice and Johnny wasn’t one to lie, not anymore. That voice drove him insane.</p><p>“I think Mark told Hyuck about us by mistake and they went nuts” he uttered with dubitation, because he was a little perplexed too. “And apparently they made a bet or something, didn’t really get the kids” </p><p>“Ah” Jaehyun just hummed, completely disinterested, getting a hold of his hand and throwing the cell phone away. He, then, took his hand again to place it on his own waist as he got comfortable, cuddling closer to Johnny.</p><p>And looking right below him, spotting how the younger was already falling asleep again with both hands placed on his chest, looking soft, Johnny could only tighten his hold and caress him with everything he had, drifting slowly to sleep, too.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you so much if you made it this far ♡ I must confess I didn't use to ship Johnjae but due to fictional happenings in my Markhyuck I just started shipping them a lot??? and now I can't even look at Jaehyun without helpplessly falling into a black void of his beauty. Yes.</p><p>Anyway! I wanna thank Elle and my sis for being the greatest beta readers I could ask for and all of you for reading!! Comments and critics are always really welcomed!! </p><p>That's it, stay healthy y'all! See ya!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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